Solar Heating Related Links
Washington State University integrated evacuated-tube solar water heating collectors into the south facade of their Solar Decathlon competition home. Learn more about the Solar Decathlon.
This page lists additional resources that you can access to learn more about solar-heating.
Manufacturers and Suppliers
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
SEIA is the national trade association of solar manufacturers, distributors, and contractors, with chapters in many states. SEIA lists solar manufacturers and companies that sell solar systems and products; includes links to state and local chapters of the SEIA Web site, which list local solar contractors. Call (202) 682-0556.
The Source for Renewable Energy
This Web site has an easy-to-use directory of more than 2,500 businesses and organizations throughout the world that are involved in renewable energy.
FindSolar.com
This Web site provides a new and rapidly growing list of suppliers of solar equipment.
Trade Associations
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
ASHRAE writes standards that set uniform methods for testing and rating equipment. It also establishes accepted practices through the heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry worldwide, such as the design of energy-efficient buildings: (404) 636-8400.
American Solar Energy Society (ASES)
ASES is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 1954 to encourage the use of solar-energy technologies. ASES publishes a bimonthly magazine, Solar Today, and offers a variety of solar publications through its catalogue: (303) 443-3130.
Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC)
FSEC is one of the largest and most active alternative-energy centers in the country. The FSEC staff conducts research on a range of solar technologies, offers solar energy workshops, and distributes many free publications to the public: (407) 638-1000.
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
The NAHB Research Center provides assistance with technical questions about home building, including energy efficiency: (800) 898-2842.
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
SEIA provides lists of solar-equipment manufacturers and dealers, publishes a magazine called the Solar Industry Journal, and has a substantial library of documents on solar technologies for sale, including those relating to buildings: (202) 383-2600.
Solar Rating & Certification Corporation (SRCC)
SRCC rates and certifies the performance of solar thermal equipment. The SRCC offers a directory of certified solar-energy systems and collectors, as well as documents (OG-100 and OG-300) that detail the operating guidelines and minimum standards for certifying solar water-heating collectors and systems. SRCC standard OG-300 also provides comparative thermal performance ratings for approved systems. Lastly, the Web site provides an index of annual savings of OG-300 systems compared to gas and electricity in selected cities across the United States: (407) 638-1537.
Sustainable Buildings Industries Council (SBIC)
SBIC is an information center for designing low-energy buildings. SBIC builder workshops help residential designers, builders, developers, and code officials learn to use the necessary tools for creating a well-designed passive solar home: 202-628-7400.
Other Web Sites
DOE/NREL High-Performance Buildings Program
Find out how to reduce building energy consumption by integrating passive solar technology with energy-efficient building design.
EPA Global Warming
Tap into this great resource on the environmental costs of energy production. The Tools section includes calculators that determine the emission benefits of using a solar water heater or solar pool heater in a specific region.
Million Solar Roofs
The Million Solar Roofs Initiative will help businesses and communities install solar systems on one million rooftops across the United States by the year 2010. DOE will work with partners in the building industry, local governments, state agencies, the solar industry, electric service providers, and non-governmental organizations to remove market barriers and strengthen grassroots demand for solar technologies.
Technology Assistance Program (TAP)
Based at Sandia National Laboratories, TAP assists manufacturers in reducing the cost and improving the reliability of their products. TAP also promotes solar thermal technologies for specific applications and needs.
Utility Solar Water Heating Initiative (USH2O)
USH2O partners include solar thermal program managers from investor-owned utilities, municipal and other publicly owned utilities, as well as manufacturers, distributors, and installers of solar water-heating systems. Learn more about their services.